John a



(No Model.)

J. A. SMITH.

COMBINED PIANO AND ORGAN.

N0. 447,120. Patented Feb. 24,1891.

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JOIIIY A. SMITH, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED PIANO AND ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,120, dated February24, 1891.

Application filed March 24, 1890. Serial No. 345,180. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

3e it known that I, JOHN A. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Piano andOrgan; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My improvements relate to the combination of the reed-organ with thepiano in one case in such a manner that each of the combined instrumentsmay be played separately, or the two may be played simultaneously by themeans of either bank of keys, or a melody or harmony being played uponone an accompaniment may be played upon the other.

The objects of my improvements are to provide a combined instrumenthaving the fewest possible parts, simple in construction, one upon whicha greater variety of desira bio and pleasing musical effects may beproduced than has hitherto been possible, and also to so locate andarrange the various parts of the organ with reference to the piano thatthey shall not cause interference with ready access to necessary partsof the piano for tuning and repairs.

Another object is to provide a unique duplex manual coupler, one whichcouples either from the lower bank of keys to the upper or from theupper to the lower.

I attain these objects by means of the peculiar arrangement of mechanismwhich is fully illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a vertical section of the keyboard and the lower portion ofthe rods connecting the keys of an upright piano with its actionmechanism above and the combined reed-organ. Fig. 2. shows a section ofthe tilting organ-key frame F and the keys O with their rear endsdepressed so as to impinge the lugs L, secured to the connectingrods 0.Fig. 3 is a section of the tilting organ-key frame and keys with theirrear ends elevated so as to impinge the lugs L, secured to theconnecting-rods 0. Fig. 4E shows my arrangement for binding theorgan-keys to their fulcrum.

In both Figs. 2 and 3 the dotted lines show the organ-keys O in theirnormal position, as illustrated in Fig. l.

I desire that the ad justing-rockers, each secured by two screws to therear ends of the keys of both the piano and the organ, as shown in Figs.1,2, and 3, shall be considered as integral parts of such keys.

A comprehensive idea of my arrangement of the several parts of the organwith reference to and in combination with the piano is given by Fig. 1.The organ-keys O are located above the keys I of the piano, while theorgan-valve mechanism, the wind-chest, reeds, inutes, swell, &c., arelocated underneath the piano-keys P, and communication between theorgan-keys 0 above and the valves V below is had by means of thetrackerpins T, which pass through holes II in the piano-keys P and restupon the valves V, while their upper ends sustain the organ-keys O intheir position of rest, as shown. The wind-chest is connected by meansof a wind trunk or tube with a bellows located in the space at the rearof the lower front of the case orin any other suitable place. Thewindtrunk and bellows, reeds, mutes, swell, &c., are not shown, theybeing constructed in any of the well-known forms.

Prior to my invention various patents have been granted for combinedpiano and organ with separate key-board for each; but, so far as I amaware, no really practical result has been obtained, because ofcomplications in the mechanisms, and because of failure to arrange theseveral parts of the organ in such position and manner that they shallnot interfere with ready access to necessary parts of the piano forrepairs, adjustment, and tuning. 13y separating the parts of the organand placing its keys above the keys of the piano and its reeds, valves,and surrounding mechanism below the piano-keys, I so dispose its severalparts that they do not prevent ready access to the parts of the pianomost likely to need repairs and adjustment or for tuning.

My duplex manual coupling arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.The organ-keys O are extended rearwardly as far as to the "uprightconnecting-rods O, and aresecurely fulcrumed to the key-frame F at 1, sothat when the fronts are depressed in the act of playing the rear endsare elevated to about the same extent as are the rear ends of thepianokeys P when their front ends are depressed. The organ-key frame Fis pivoted at each end on the line A of the bearings of the keys 0 uponthe tracker-pins T in such manner that the key-frame and its keys 0maybe oscillated slightly, thus raising or lowering the rear ends of thekeys 0 for the purposes hereinafter explained. The uprightconnecting-rods C, which communicate the upward motion of the rear endsof the piano-keys P to the piano action and hammers above, are eachprovided with lugs L and L at suitable points below and above'the rearends of the keys 0. I I

When the key-frame F and the keys 0 are .in their normal'position, asshown in Fig. 1 and by the dotted lines .in Figs. 2 and 3, either thepiano or the organ may beplayed separately, the lugs L being placed justfar enough below the rear ends of the keys 0 to allow for their freeupward motion with the connecting-rods 0 when the'piano-keys Pareoperated, while the lugs L are j ust far enough above the rear ends ofthe keys 0 to clear; them when the organ-keys are operated. If

the key-frame F and the keys 0 are tilted upon the pivots at A so as todepress the rear ends of the keys 0, they are brought into position toimpinge the lugs L, as shown by the; full lines in Fig. 2. When in thisposition; the organ-keys 0 may be played separately from the piano; butif the piano-keys P. are played their rear ends are raised, carryingu pwith'themthe connecting-rods O,'having thelugs L attached, the lugs Lbearing up against the under sides of the 'rear'ends of the keys 0 andcausing'them to be raised the same as ted directly by the fingers,thereby enabling both the'combined instruments to be playedsimultaneously when the piano-keys P only are manipulated, or, ifdesired, a solo or a duet may be-played. upon the combined instrumentthrough the medium of the piano-; keys P 'Wlth an accompaniment uponthe- .organ alone by means of the keys 0.

By tilting the key-frame vF and the keys '0 so as to raise'the rear endsof the keys 0 up against the lugs L, as shown by the full .lines in Fig.3, it is'manit'est that manipulationof the keys 0 will not only operatethe, organ, but the piano as well, for by depressting thefront-ends.of'the keys 0 in .the act of playing the organ their rear'ends arecorrespondingly raised, carrying up the lugs L accompaniment may beplayed upon the piano alone through the medium of the keys P. By thisarrangement (the tilting of the key-frameF' and the keys 0, incombination with the lugs L and L, secured to the uprightconnecting-rods O) I secure the simplest pos sible duplex manualcoupler, one that enables the performer by drawing a stop or pressing apedal either to couple from the lower bank of keys to the upper or fromthe upper bank to the lower. This duplex manual coupling arrangementisas applicable to organs having two or more banks of keys as it is tothis combined piano and organ.

My method of securing the keys 0 to the key-frame F at the fulcrum 1 sothat they shall beheld firmly to their fulcrum and yet be perfectly freeto oscillate thereon when in use is fully shown in Fig. 4. A littleabove the lower surf-ace of the keys 0, at their points of bearing uponthe fulcrum 1, I make a hole .2 through each key, and through thisseries of holes I put a long wire 3, extending longitudinally'thewholelength of thekey-board parallel with and about one-eightht-l inchabove the fulcrum 1, which is common to all the keys 0. This wire 3serves as a key-binder "to hold the entire series of keys 0 against theorgan-stop work, nor the pedal arrangement for tilting the key-frame Fand the keys O,for all these matters are either well understoodorinvolve only ordinary skill in piano and organ work.

What I claim as my invention, and deslre to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination,with a piano, of an organ havingits keys 0 locatedabove the pianokeys P, while its valves V, with the windchest, reeds,and other necessary surrounding parts, are located below the'piano-keysP,with

suitable means of communicating the motion of the keys 0 to the valvessubstantially as shown and described.

2. An organ with its keys 0 arranged to operate the valves V through themedium of the tracker-pins T, in combination with a piano having itskeys P interposed between the keys 0 and :the valvesV of the organ,-th'ekeys P .being'provided with holes H,'through which the tracker-pins Tpass, as specified and shown.

-3. In an instrument having two or more banks of keys, the tiltingkey-frame 1*", pivoted at each end on the line A, with therearwardly-projecting keys 0 mounted thereon, and suitable means foroscillating the said keyt'rame and keys, whereby the rear ends of thekeys 0 may be carried either below or above their normal position, asand for the purposes specified.

4. The tilting key-frame F and the keys 0 mounted thereon, incombination with the keys 1, the connecting-rods C,and the lugs L,secured thereto, whereby when the key-frame l and the keys 0 are tiltedso that the rear ends of the keys 0 are carried down against the lugs Lmanipulation of the keys 1 will, through the medium of theconnecting-rods C and the lugs L, cause the keys 0 to operate and boththe combined instruments to sound.

5. In a combined piano and organ,the tilting key-frame F and the keys 0mounted thereon, in combination with the lugs L, secured to theconnecting-rods 0, whereby when the key-frame F and the keys 0 aretilted so that the rear ends of the keys 0 are carried up against thelugs L manipulation of the keys 0 will. not only cause the organ tosound by the depression of the tracker-pins T and the opening of thevalves Y, but the rear ends of the keys 0 being carried upward impingethe lugs L and carry them up also with the connecting-rods 0, thussetting in motion the action mechanism above and causing the piano tosound the same as if the keys P were manipulated.

6. In amusical instrument having two or more banks of keys, thecombination of the keys P, operating act-ion mechanism above through themedium of the connecting-rods U, l'iaving lugs L and L secured thereto,with the tilting key frame F and the keys 0 mounted thereon, the keys 0operating the action mechanism below through the medium of thetracker-pins T, and suitable means for oscillating the key-frame F andthe keys 0, whereby when the rearward ends of the keys 0 are depressedagainst the lugs L manipulation of the keys 1 will not only actuate theaction mechanism above, but will, through the medium of theconnecting-rods O and the lugs L, cause the keys 0 to operate, therebyactuating the action mechanism below, as well as that above, while ifthe rearward ends of the keys 0 are elevated against the lugs Lmanipulation of the keys 0 will not only actuate the action mechanismbelow, but will, through the medium of the lugs L, secured to theconnecting-rods C, actuate that above as well.

'7, In combination with the series of keys 0, provided with holes 2, thekey-binder 3, secured in its position by the hooks i or other suitablemeans, whereby the keys 0 are held to their fulcrum l and yet are freeto operate with the least possible friction.

Vitness my hand this 22d day of March, A. l). 1890.

JOHN A. SMITH.

Witnesses:

Wu. F. RAMSAY, K. L. EISENHART.

